Lightwood's Reign
by Irishgal504
Summary: When Clary is forced to work in the Lightwood's castle, what will the family make of her? Who will she be able to rely on and trust? Will some of the horrors hidden deep within the castle's depths be revealed? Set in medieval times.
1. Nazath

**Hey guys! So this is my first story and I sincerely hope you like it. Please let me know what you think because I dunno if this is something people are interested in. Oh, and I promise this story will get better. This was just kind of an introduction to the whole concept. But yeah, please give it a chance and I'll try improve as the chapters go on. Anyway, enough from me! Enjoy!**

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Clary gazed at the castle in the distance. It lay upon a hill made of lush grass and cold rock. She had never been up to the castle, no one in the village of Nazath ever had. It was forbidden to lay a foot in its grounds unless you were invited. If you were found wandering about, you were punished, usually by death, sometimes just by flogging but only if you were lucky.

The castle was occupied by the Lightwood family. They had control over all areas in the vicinity. All criminals found in Nazath were brought up to the castle for trial. Most were never seen again but it is said that they are kept in the dungeons deep inside the hill. Clary hoped those rumours were true, after all, her father was brought up there when she was merely three months old and he was never seen again.

Clary averted her gaze from the castle to the sun. It hung low in the sky, signalling it was time to get home. She gripped at the tree branch she was sitting on and lowered herself until she was a few feet off the ground. She dropped, landing gracefully on her feet. Clary strolled through the thinning trees and reached the edge of the village she called home.

Nazath was small, it's houses made from cold, damp stone. The streets were narrow and made of cobblestone. Clary strode through the streets, tripping over her dress which was far too long for her. She barged through a wooden door, slamming it behind her. The room she was in was plain but it was home and nothing could beat that.

Her mother sat at the table sewing while her brother Jon sat in one of the chairs by a window. Neither of them looked up. Clary frowned, something was wrong. They always welcomed her home but neither of them were even looking at her. She saw tears rolling down her mother's face. _What in hell?_ Her mother never cried.

Clary rushed over to her, which only resulted in her falling flat on her face. She expected Jon to tease and slag her like he usually would but only silence met her ears. She returned to her feet and placed her hands on her mother's shoulders.

"What's wrong?" she whispered.

Jocelyn turned her head towards her daughter. Her face was red from crying and her hair was matted to her face.

"Clary, you know that every three years a list is brought to the village from the Lightwood castle." Jocelyn sobbed, putting her head in her hands.

Clary had completely forgotten that today was June 18th, the day the list was sent to the village from the castle. It was a tradition that a list was sent to Nazath every three years and it stated the names of people who must go and work in the castle. It was the villagers way of repaying the Lightwoods for keeping their home safe from demons. Those who go to work in the castle never see their families again. However, their families are guaranteed money and food because of it.

"Yes, I completely forgot but what does that have to do with me?" Clary asked.

"Clary your name is on the list. You have to leave by tomorrow." Jocelyn cried.

Clary recoiled in shock. Yes, of course she had heard of the list but she never thought that _her_ name would be on it. It was just one of those things she never saw happening. And now she had to leave her family, her home, to work for people she had never even seen before. The whole idea was bizarre.

Clary took a step back and she was enveloped in a bear hug from Jon. She felt all her strength leave her at once and she sagged in his arms.

"I'm so sorry Clare. I'd go instead but you know the law." Jon whispered.

Clary felt her eyes welling up with tears. She needed to escape, to get away from them and think. She broke out of Jon's deadly grip and sprinted to her room, barricading herself in with a chair.

Clary let her tears fall. Her family, she would never see them again. She'd never come home to the smell of her mother making fresh bread, flour coating her vibrant red hair. She'd never see Jon laughing at her as she slipped while climbing a tree ever again. She would never walk the streets of Nazath again. No, instead she would be working for people she didn't know who probably didn't care about her. She would have to slave away just because they were royalty. The thought pained her. But if would help her family. They would never starve or be poor again because of her. She could give them something she never could if she stayed in Nazath.

Tears stopped falling and Clary stood up. She went to her chest and began packing for what was to come. Tonight she would stay by herself, but in the morning she would spend time with her family. The only people she has ever loved. But right now, she just needed time alone. She needed to get used to being alone anyway. After all, who was going to be there to comfort her in the castle?

Clary lay on her bed, not bothering to change. She waited for sleep to overcome her but she was met with a night of restlessness.

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Jon and Jocelyn must've stayed up all night just like her because when Clary came into their sitting room, Jocelyn was still at the table and Jon had returned to his chair by the window. Clary examined both of their faces, memorising each and every detail. She didn't want to forget a thing. They both looked tired and emotionally drained. Jocelyn's eyes looked puffy from crying but no tears could be seen. Jon's face was just blank, completely empty of emotion.

They both turned and looked at her. Clary forced a smile onto her face. She wouldn't let them see how upset she was, it would only make things harder. At this point in time all she could do was assure them she would be alright.

They spent the morning in each other's company, sitting and reminiscing about good times. It would've been normal on any given day but today, there was an undertone of sadness. It couldn't be helped but it wasn't as bad as Clary had thought it would be. She loved her final moments with them, although they were very normal and mundane, they would always be remembered.

There was a knock on their door at noon. Clary got her bag while Jon answered the door. She could already hear him pleading with them to let him go instead of her but apparently they were having none of it. In a way it was a good thing. Clary knew Jon couldn't survive by himself whereas Clary had been doing that her whole life. While Jon had lots of friends that supported him, Clary had spent her time alone in the woods building and climbing or drawing on bits of parchment with charcoal from fires. She knew how to be alone, Jon didn't.

Clary emerged from her room and walked towards the door. She hugged her mother one last time. It was warm, familiar and it made her want to cry knowing that she would never be with her mother again. She then hugged Jon, telling him to stop trying to replace her and that she would be alright. He stopped immediately and buried his face in her neck. She could feel his tears and it sent a shooting pains through her heart.

"Take care of our mother." Clary whispered in his ear as she released him.

With that, she turned and left. If she didn't she would've had a melt down and cried hysterically. At least this way they would remember her being strong and facing what was to come.

Clary climbed into an awaiting carriage. It was exquisite with its golden paint, white details and red velvet seats. It was comfier than any of the chairs in her home. _Her old home_. That was the last thought Clary had before bursting into tears. They streamed down her face and seemed to be never ending. As soon as she wiped one away another would follow.

When Clary finally looked up after God knows how long she was greeted by lush gardens and an enormous castle. It was made of stone and it had towers rising on either side of it. They had slitted windows for defensive purposes and even from where Clary was sitting she could see detailed tapestries. It was beautiful, like something out of a fairytale. She couldn't believe she was finally going inside the castle. It had always been her childhood dream to see what it was like, it was just a pity it had to be under such bad circumstances.

The carriage pulled up in front of the castle and Clary jumped out, eager to absorb as much detail as possible. The road she had come in on was made of cobble which explained why it had been a bumpy ride. The grass was short and well kept with no weeds in sight. Flowers of all shapes, sizes and colour laced the walls of the garden. There was a pond hidden under lily's and the water was pristine blue.

Clary turned back to face the castle and was yet again shocked by its size. She got a feeling that she would never get used to its enormity. Ivy had begun to climb up the sides of the castle walls but it seemed a gardener was already trying to stop it from going any further. Clary frowned. In her opinion the ivy added character but obviously the Lightwood's had other ideas.

Clary turned her attention to the wooden doors that lay above three stone steps. They were the perfect entrance for the perfect castle. The doors were blue and decorated with symbols Clary didn't recognise. She loved it, they were so unique and it looked as if they were almost trying to tell a story…

As soon Clary tried to get a closer look the doors opened. Beyond them stood six elegantly dressed people.

 _The Lightwood's._

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 **Ok, so that's the first chapter. I really hope you liked it. I know it was kind of rushed but I got so engrossed in it and just wanted so much to happen that I didn't really notice what I was doing. Sorry! I promise the next chapter will be much better! Please let me know what you think, both good and bad, cause I haven't got a clue if this is something people are interested in. Oh and let me know if there are any specific ships you want me to include too! Anyway, I'll see you next time!**


	2. The Castle

**Hey guys! Welcome back. Sorry it's been so long but I have exams coming up and I've been making stuff for my technology project/exam thing also so it's been absolute mayhem at home and in school, I apologise for the long descriptions of the characters I just didn't know what to write! Anyway, enjoy!**

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 _The Lightwood's._

They were all dressed elegantly, each with a unique air about them. Every one of them was stunning in their own way, except for the youngest who was just utterly adorable. He stood to the left of the family and wore a dark green tunic with black trousers. If Clary was being honest, it looked as if the clothes were designed for someone much older and so the young boy looked even more youthful. His hair was dark and there was a goofy grin on display across his childish face. Clary instantly took a shine to him. He reminded her of Jon when he was younger and teasing her about how she had twigs in her hair or a rip in her skirts. It was a pleasant burst of light but that feeling of joy was soon overcome with a wave of homesickness.

Beside the boy was two people who appeared to be Clary's age, one male and one female. The male looked uninterested, with his ice cold eyes piercing the stone steps that lay before Clary. His hair was a mess of long locks that fell in front of his face. He seemed to be completely invigorated by the smooth, hard stone of the steps. The female however was absolutely buzzing with energy and beaming from ear to ear. There was a frenziness in her eyes that made Clary shrink back and prepare to be attacked by the brown eyed beauty. However, the ambush did not come, thankfully.

Then there was two older versions of the teenagers. They both looked exactly like their children however their eyes seemed to tell a tale of a life of torment and fighting. They looked wise and their presence was known to all. _The King and Queen, Robert and Maryse._ This was the first time Clary had set her eyes on them and she was completely dumbfounded when she saw a hint of kindness and welcoming in their stares.

Finally, Clary's gaze turned to a golden boy who again, looked around her age. Everything about him was golden; his eyes, his skin, his hair. He looked like the perfect angel. Except for the coldness that saturated his features. His face and eyes were unreadable, but he was staring at her as if she was the last person he wanted to see right now. Clary was taken aback and shocked at the stranger who she could already feel was judging her. Her shock was quickly overcome by disgust and defiance.

 _Who was he to judge her when he didn't even know her? Was it just because she was another maid coming to work here? Was she nothing more than a worker to him?_

These thoughts raced through Clary's head. She was annoyed at him for judging er without knowing her, and yet she was doing the exact same thing. She instantly felt ashamed. Her mother had raised her better than this, and yet she couldn't shake the feeling of annoyance towards the boy. He just seemed so….arrogant.

Clary's attention was immediately brought to King Robert when he began to speak.

"Miss Clarissa Morgenstern. Welcome to the Castle. I would like to introduce you to my family." He stated.

"This is Max, the youngest." He indicated to the boy with the goofy grin.

"And this is my son Alec and daughter Isabelle." Alec gave her a curt nod while Isabelle tried to restrain herself from sprinting towards the red head.

"My wife Maryse." She gave a small smile filled with what seemed to be sympathy. Clary tilted her head in confusion. _Sympathy?_

"And this is Jace Herondale. An additional member to the family." Jace gave her one last glance and then disappeared inside the castle. Robert sent him what could only be described as a death glare. It was actually quite amusing, as if Clary was staring at a normal family and not royals who controlled all of the land in the surrounding areas.

Robert turned his attention back to Clary who was still standing at the bottom of the steps.

"Now, I apologise for the hurried introduction but we all have important business to be getting to. Although I would like to stay and talk, these are urgent matters, lifesaving in fact. Another maid, Maia, should be with you in a moment to help you get settled in. Once again, I apologise for the rushed introductions."

With that the whole family left as if on cue. Clary was left staring after them in a complete world of her own. _Lifesaving matters? What the hell?_ Once Clary refocused on the task at hand (getting up the stairs and actually entering the place) she realised there was a girl standing before her. She had brown hair and her face was kind and pure. She had a bright smile that made Clary instantly like her. Although she was not strikingly beautiful like Isabelle, she was pretty in her own way. It was actually quite comforting seeing someone who was not stunningly attractive.

"Welcome to your new home." Maia said, her voice smooth and confident.

"Um, hi. I'm Clary." Clary replied awkwardly. If only at this point in time she knew how not to be socially awkward. However this was not the case and Clary continued to stare at Maia like a lost puppy.

"Don't worry, I was nervous when I first arrived too. You'll be fine, they are a welcoming family who care for their workers. You literally have nothing to worry about." Maia assured her.

And that was all it took for Clary's wall of awkwardness to be smashed to pieces. Maia was the kind of person that you talked to and felt like you have known her for years. It was a pleasant surprise.

"I'm sorry, but if you don't mind, I'll show you to your quarters now. I have a lot of work to catch up on." Maia apologised.

 _What was it with people and rushing in this place?!_

Clary nodded and followed Maia into the castle. Although it looked big from the outside, it looked even bigger from the inside. Lush red carpets smothered the ground with softness while the white walls were laced with more symbols in gold paint. The place seemed magical.

Maia led her down numerous hallways and after about the twentieth turn Clary gave up on trying to remember how she had gotten there. She knew she would get to know the place once work started, at least she hoped she would…

When Maia reached yet another wooden door she finally stopped.

"This is you. I'm just across the corridor if you need anything." she stated, indicating towards a red door.

With that, Clary was left alone in an unknown place for the second time within twenty minutes. She stood there with her hand on the door knob for god knows how long. This was her first step to moving into the castle. Once she opened the door to this room she was accepting her fate and leaving her family behind her. She couldn't decide if it was worth it. She could always try to make a break for it right now, go back to her family. Then again, she would probably get even more lost.

"You do realise that the point of a door knob is to open a door. You're not exactly meant to just stand there staring at it for five minutes." a voice said from behind Clary.

She jumped and turned with such speed it left her neck in agony. She rubbed it as she gazed at the boy leaning against an opposing wall. He was lanky and his hair hung in a tangled mess upon the top of his head. He was smiling, on the verge of laughter. Clary turned red at the thought of him staring at her for five minutes but she couldn't help the laugh that exploded from her mouth.

"I'm sorry I was just …" Clary searched for what to say, embarrassed to mention that she had already been thinking of running away.

"...thinking of running and hiding forever? Going back to your family? Don't worry, we've all been there." the boy replied.

Clary nodded, her embarrassment immediately replaced by relief for his understanding.

"I'm Clary. And you are…?" she asked.

"Simon, Simon Lewis, servant to Alec and an absolute pleasure to be around. Nice to meet you Clary." he introduced himself.

Clary suppressed a giggle. She turned the doorknob and flung the door open.

"Uh, would you like to come in?" she asked.

"Into an innocent lady's room? I'm mortified you would suggest such a thing after only meeting me." Simon said in mock horror.

"You know that's not what I meant!" Clary glared at him.

Simon only replied with a smile as he stood up from the wall.

"Although I would love to take you up on that offer, Alec duty calls. So I'll let you get settled in and maybe I'll ambush you later if that is what you really want?" he suggested, a smirk spreading across his face.

"Hmm, tempting, but I think I will have to pass on that one."

"Your choice, but you're missing all of this." Simon shrugged and waved a hand before him.

"Somehow I think I will survive." Clary replied, her own smile cracking across her face.

"I guess we'll see." Simon said as he turned and walked down the hallway.

Clary stared after him. Had she just made a _friend_? She didn't think she would this quickly, if at all, but speaking to Simon had been so natural. Clary had never really had a friend but she was already comfortable in his company. It was funny, she had spent sixteen years in a village without friends and then she spends just under an hour in a castle where she makes two friends in twenty minutes. The world was a funny place to live in.

Clary finally turned back to her room and entered with her bag. It was a large room with a fireplace, bed and wardrobe. There was a desk and chair by a window with a deep blue tapestry. On the tapestry was images a man turning to a wolf as the moon rose. The detail was magnificent and the artistic side of Clary came out as she examined its details. Every hair on the wolf's body. Every ounce of pain on the man's face as his bones snapped and bent to their wolf form. It was a horrific image, yet absolutely beautiful at the same time.

Beyond the tapestry and out the window was a magnificent view of a lake and vast forestry. She obviously wasn't facing towards Nazath because that was nowhere near a lake. If it had, she would have found it and spent every possible moment there. The water was clear blue, even from this distance it looked magical. Clary smiled at the view but brought her attention back to the room.

She went to unpack her bag. It didn't take long, all she had was a couple outfits and her favourite drawings. She placed the clothes in the wardrobe and the drawings on her desk. The wardrobe was massive and it put her tiny collection of clothes to shame. Although the desk was now decorated with drawings of the castle and forestry that she had brought from home, she noticed how the walls were completely bear and stripped of character. She needed to change that if possible.

Clary searched the desk for anything to draw with. Her efforts were rewarded with multiple sticks of charcoal and golden parchment. She sat at the desk and drew anything that came to mind. Her carriage, the Lightwood's, Maia, Simon, the lake, Jace. Although she drew multiple images of the people she had met and landscapes she had seen, her attention kept getting drawn back to Jace. If she began to lose focus while drawing she would find a pair of golden eyes staring back at her from the page. She didn't understand why, if anything she wanted to forget about Jace. He had made her feel unwelcome and unimportant.

Clary stood up when she found herself losing focus more and more. Her drawings had become filled with images of golden eyes or a perfect mess of golden hair and golden skin. She needed to stop and rest. She hadn't slept a wink the night before and it must have been catching up with her if she was drawing a person she disliked nonstop.

Clary walked to the bed and collapsed onto the blue covers. They were soft and immediately enveloped her in warmth. The bed was ten times comfier than her bed back home. Although she hated comparing a castle to her small village home, she couldn't help but enjoy the luxuriousness that came with the castle. Her only issue with the castle was that it seemed empty and deprived of life. Even her room seemed unnaturally cold considering it was a warm day.

Clary tried not to think about it as she begged for sleep to overcome her. As she was just beginning to fall asleep, she heard a knock on the door. Clary jumped from the bed and stumbled towards the door. She flung it open and was met with the steady gaze of Maia.

"Sorry to disturb you, but Isabelle has called for you." Maia stated.

Clary stared in shock. Firstly, what was it with servants calling the Royal family by their first names? First Simon with Alec and now Maia with Isabelle? Wasn't it supposed to be Sir or Miss or something respectable like that? And secondly, what in the world would Isabelle want with her? Guess there was only one way to find out…

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 **Okay guys so that is the end of the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you want to happen in future chapters. This story is as much yours as it is mine. I haven't got a clue on what to write for any plot twists or anything so any ideas are welcome! Oh, and do you think I should change to Jace's point of view or someone else's at all during the story? I know the story is kind of in third person but it's also kind of from Clary's view too so let me know! I also want to thank anyone who reviewed because it means so much to me! It literally made my day! And I tried to reply to them but for some reason the reviews on this story are messed up and won't let me read them unless I look at them from my email. Anyway, thanks again lads and see you next time!**


	3. Isabelle Lightwood

**Hey ladz! Ok so, I'm stupid. I spent my whole summer messing about with my friends and being lazy and the night before I go back to school, I begin writing more fanfic! I would blame it on exams but I'm just lazy so I didn't end up writing anything! I'm so unbelievably sorry that it has been so long since I updated but hopefully I will be updating more regularly now! Anyway, I have kept you long enough, here is the next chapter!**

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Clary followed Maia down the white hallways, her feet sinking into the blood red carpet. Her mind was going through all the reasons Isabelle Lightwood would like to speak to her. She was the new maid so maybe she was working for her? Maybe Isabelle just wanted to meet the new help. Yes, those were the most likely reasons. There was nothing to worry about. Clary tried reassuring herself.

But what if she said the wrong thing? What if she accidently offended her? Clary sagged at the thought of screwing up a conversation with royalty. Isabelle had the power to make her life hell if Clary insulted her. Clary could not bare it any longer, she had to know why Isabelle wanted to speak with her.

"Maia, why does Isabelle want to speak with me?" Clary asked, worry saturating her voice.

"You will be working for Isabelle. Honestly you have nothing to worry about. I worked for her before I got swapped to working for Maryse. Isabelle is lovely so you have nothing to fret over. She will take care of you." Maia assured.

Clary let out a sigh of relief. At least she's nice, that counts for something.

"Oh, Maia, why do the servants call the Royal Family by their first names? I would've thought that they would be called something like Miss or Mister because they're, you know, royalty." Clary questioned.

"I thought the same when I arrived. To tell you the truth, I don't know why they like being called by their first names. I think it has something to do with them not wanting people to feel like they are completely below them." Maia replied.

Clary's brow furrowed. This family was making it hard for her to dislike them. Yes, they had taken her away from her family and yes, Jace wasn't the definition of friendly or welcoming, but they hadn't treated her unfairly when she arrived. They hadn't made her feel unwelcome. Granted, she had only been in the castle for maybe an hour so these observations were based on one quick meeting.

Clary's thoughts were interrupted when she crashed into Maia who had stopped outside a large burgundy door. Clary's eyes widened in shock.

"I'm so sor-" she began.

"Don't worry about it. It happens." Maia laughed. "This is Isabelle's room."

Maia indicated towards the door. She then proceeded by knocking on the hard oak wood.

"Come in!" A voice chirped from inside.

Maia opened the door and signalled for Clary to go into the room. Clary took a deep breath and straightened as she walked into the room. Her jaw dropped as her eyes danced around the room.

There was an enormous bed with an endless amount of pillows on it and a large desk with two comfortable chairs beside it that faced the window. In one corner there was two wardrobes along with a mirror. The mirror had gold detailing along its edge. The walls were also a burgundy colour, matching the door. They had symbols painted in ink black precisely placed along them. It truly was exquisite , it's beauty matching that of its occupant.

Isabelle Lightwood sat in a chair by her desk, a quill in her hand, a piece of parchment before her. She looked up at Clary and Maia and her face broke into an immediate smile. She jumped from her seat and all but sprinted towards Clary. She grabbed Clary's hands in her's.

"Clary I am so happy you made it! I'm sure Maia has told you that you'll be working for me. Oh, I have been waiting for this for so long!" Isabelle gushed.

Waiting? Waiting for what?

"I'm sorry, but what have you been waiting for?" Clary asked Isabelle, confusion lacing her features.

"For someone new to come to the castle of course! You wouldn't believe how boring it can get when you are seeing the same people all the time, er, no offence Maia." Isabelle said, realising Maia was still in the doorway.

"No offence taken, I know you can't control what you say." Maia laughed.

Isabelle smiled back, warmth emanating from her. Clary stared at the two girls. Both of a different class and yet they were speaking like friends, like they understood each other. Clary had not expected this, the friendliness. She supposed that being in a castle with only specific people to socialise with would be a cause for you to become close, but not this close. Clary couldn't believe that a Princess could be friends with a maid. And yet there was living proof in front of her. This castle had yet to stop surprising her.

With the exchange between the two girls over, Maia left the room, leaving Clary with the eccentric Isabelle. Clary turned her head back to the beaming brown eyed girl. Her smile was contagious, Clary could feel the corners of her mouth quirking up.

Isabelle led her to one of the chairs and sat her down while she took a seat in the other.

"So, Clary, as you know, you'll be working for me. The jobs you will do will vary on a daily basis. It really depends on what I need done on the day. Usually you will be getting me for meals, helping me dress, cleaning my room and things like that. If you finish your work with me I believe you will be helping Maia or Simon around the castle with jobs that need to be done. You get Sunday's off and you work from 6 until 5 on every other day. Is that alright or do you have any questions?" Isabelle gushed.

Clary stared at her open mouthed. When she realised she hadn't replied she snapped her jaw shut and nodded, signalling she understood.

"Great! Now, thank the Angel that's over! I'm sorry about rushing into things but I have the worst memory so I must tell you what is going on before I forget. So, tell me about yourself Clary."

"Um, My name is Clarissa Adele Morgenstern. I'm sixteen, I love art and climbing trees. Oh and doors hate me." Clary blurted out, saying the first thing that came to mind.

When Clary realised what she had said she internally face palmed. Why, of all things she could've said, did she choose to talk about how inanimate objects hated her?

Clary gazed at Isabelle not knowing what to expect. When Isabelle burst out laughing it was like music to Clary's ears. She joined in with Isabelle's laughter, tears coming to their eyes.

"Doors?" Isabelle asked between gasps for breath.

"They are my worst enemy. They refuse to either work or get out of my way." Clary replied which caused them both to laugh harder.

By the end of their fit they were both crying and curled up on their chairs. Clary supposed she could get used to this. Perhaps working with Isabelle wouldn't be so bad.

"Well I'm glad you have told me about your mortal enemy, at least now I can have your back when they come to get you." Isabelle smiled.

Clary smiled in reply, knowing she would never live this down. She wiped her eyes free of tears and regained her breath.

"Oh, it is coming to dinner time. Would you mind picking a dress for me to change into? They are in the wardrobe on the left." Isabelle informed.

Clary nodded and walked towards the wardrobe, flinging the doors open. Behind the doors were magnificent gowns of coloured silk, ranging from the deepest of blues to lightest of yellows. Each one was unique and was like nothing Clary had ever seen.

"These would put my tiny collection of clothes to shame." Clary said aloud.

"You don't have many clothes with you? Well, we will have to change that! I will get Maia to find you some things later." Isabelle smiled.

"Oh, no that's not what I meant-"

"Clary, you need clothes. How can you work for me if you are constantly washing your clothes?"

She had a point. Considering she only had two outfits Clary would need some new things.

Clary picked out a deep red dress and held it out to Isabelle for approval.

"That would be lovely, thank you Clary."

Clary helped Isabelle change into the dress. It clung to her in all the right places making her look even more stunning, if that was even possible.

"Wow." Clary breathed.

"Ha, thank you. You better go and get yourself ready for dinner. I'm sure Maia or Simon will come and get you.."

"Oh, right. Well, thank you Isabelle."

"Don't worry about it Clary. I look forward to working with you. I have a feeling we will be good friends."

At this, Clary broke into a grin. She nodded towards Isabelle and turned to leave, walking straight into the door.

"Damn doors…" Clary grumbled as she opened the door.

As she closed the door she heard a chuckle escape from Isabelle. This made Clary smile as she walked down the corridor. She was smiling and thinking of her first encounter with Isabelle when Clary realised she had absolutely no clue where she was going. Maia had always been there to guide her to where she needed to go but now she was in an empty hallway.

Clary looked up and down the corridor, trying to find something she remembered but she came up short. She debated about going back to Isabelle but decided she had already made enough of a fool out of herself for one day. With her mind made up, Clary continued to walk down endless amounts of vacant corridors trying to find her room.

After what felt like an eternity, Clary gave up and leaned against a wall. She was trying to think of anything that she remembered which could signal a way back to her room but her memory was failing her. Stupid memory.

Clary stared at the wall opposite her, complaining about castles and how unnecessarily big they were in her head. She felt something tickle her hand and she looked down, her gaze was met by a ginormous spider crawling over her fingers. It was almost the size of her hand, its long legs creeping across her ivory skin.

Clary shook her hand hard in horror and jumped away from the wall, squeaking in fright. The spider fell to the carpeted floor and ran away whilst Clary stumbled back into something. She almost fell when two arms wound around her and caught her before she hit the ground.

Clary turned her head to thank her saviour but the words got stuck in her throat when her emerald eyes met the pair of golden eyes she had been drawing nonstop since she had arrived.

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 **So what did you guys think? What should happen with Jace and Clary in the next chapter? Please tell me whether or not you think this is going well or taking a right turn into Snoozeville cause I don't wanna let you guys down! Also, I will be more motivated the more feedback I get back, both good and bad. And I apologise for mistakes but I have no beta lol.**

 **Anyhow, hope u guys enjoyed it. I leave you with this question: What is your favourite song right now? Mine is Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood. I dunno y, I just like it! Plz let me know Wat u guys r jammin out to right now! Till next time ladz! Bye!**


	4. Room Hunting

**Hey lads! I'm back. I am so unbelievably sorry about not updating but I had a lot going on with school and family. Plus I kind of lost my inspiration for writing. However, I have returned! I'd like to thank you guys for the follows, favs and reviews. They helped me through a tough time. Anyway, enough of that! I hope you guys like the chapter! Let's see what happens!**

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Clary stared into Jace's molten gold eyes, shock and horror slowly leaking across her features. Once her senses kicked in and she realised he was still holding her she leapt away from him, stumbling on the carpet. Her cheeks burned crimson red in embarrassment. She could see a smirk plastered on his face.

"I-there was-spider. Big spider." Clary mumbled.

At Clary's stammering the smirk just seemed to grow and become even more annoying.

"Hey, don't smirk at me! That spider could have bitten my hand off for all I know! I was just being careful." Clary glared.

"Oh sure, the only problem with that story is that we don't get hand eating spiders around here. Just really big house spiders." Jace replied.

"Well how was I meant to know that?"

"Didn't you grow up in a dirty little town? I'm pretty that would have spiders too."

"Oh please! Don't go on about my hometown. Just because it wasn't a castle doesn't mean it's this filthy place infested with insects! Don't try to make me feel like I am below you just because I may have had a tiny freak out over a slightly bigger than usual spider!"

"It was still small for a house spider."

"It was the size of my hand! That is not normal!"

"Well considering the size of your hands, it was still a small spider."

"Oh great, first insulting my hometown and now the size of my hands, which by the way aren't actually that small! God, didn't your mother teach you manners? Or are you to used to being able to treat servants as animals instead of human beings?"

At this there was a hitch in that annoying smirk. His eyes hardened as he stared at the fuming red head.

"My mother is dead. And you know nothing about her so you might want to stop talking about things you don't know about." Jace breathed, silent rage saturating each and every word.

"Well I could say the same to you! Now if you don't mind I'm going to go find my room." Clary needed to get away before she started apologising about speaking about his mother. Although she knew she hadn't been treated fairly, she still felt guilty about saying things about his dead mother. She internally damned her conscience for being so apologetic.

Clary stormed off back the way she had come for a few paces and then she started looking at the walls for any sign whatsoever of where her room might be. She came up short...again. Staring down the halls she couldn't see anything that might help her. Frustration bubbled inside her.

 _Why do castles have to be so unnecessarily big?_ _I mean come on, who really needs this many rooms?_ she thought.

The only way she was going to find her room was if she got help. And at this point in time the only person to ask for help was Jace. _Why must life be so cruel?_

Swallowing her pride and taking a deep breath to calm herself she spun on her heel and began the short walk back to the golden boy. It took all of her being not to turn around and go wandering around the castle like a lost puppy. _Come on, you can do this he's only royalty after all,_ she prompted, _ok not helping._

Clary had completed the walk back towards Jace in no time, to her dismay. She looked at him, her mouth fixed in a dead straight line and her eyes filled with determination. She was not going to respond to any of his snipes and comments, she would just get back to her room without any hassle. She didn't need to make things worse with him, he did have power over her.

"I appear to have lost my room. If you wouldn't mind, could you please bring me back to it?" Clary asked politely, but with an undertone of anger.

She expected him to have a sarcastic and unpleasant comeback but nothing came. He just nodded and began to walk. Clary stood there in shock for a split second. Why hadn't he said anything? Wouldn't he have loved to take the opportunity to get back at her?

Clary followed him down countless corridors still confused as to why he hadn't said anything yet. But when he turned and indicated to a familiar blue door she could see why he hadn't spoken. He looked torn apart, as if the whole world was working against him. His eyes were focused on the ground and they were filled with an unknown despair. They looked haunted by horrific memories.

Clary went to open her door but stopped with her hand on the doorknob. She couldn't leave him like that without saying anything. This could be her fault with what she said about his mother. She had to do something even if it didn't make it right. She'd feel too guilty otherwise.

"I'm sorry for what I said about your mother. I didn't know she was…" she didn't feel the need to finish the sentence.

Jace raised his eyes to hers and she could see a protective wall fall into place as he realised she was looking at him. All the emotion that had been there moments before disappeared from sight. Was this sarcastic and annoying personality just a mask to hide the emotional battle that was really going on underneath?

"I don't need your apology." he replied.

He turned and walked away without another word. Clary stared after him. How could one person be so confusing? One minute he's insulting you and the next he's not even speaking to you. Talk about mixed messages!

She twisted the doorknob and entered her room. She went straight to her chair and collapsed into it. Her mind was filled with Jace related thoughts. What had caused him to look so torn? Why was he shutting it in? Was he really that rude? Was there more to him than what meets the eye?

Questions swirled through her head and she couldn't stop them. Why was she so caught up on a person she didn't even like? Shouldn't she be more worried about her job with Isabelle? After all, that was the whole reason she was up in the castle, to serve the family. Jace wasn't even part of the family as far as she knew, only a visitor.

Her mind felt clogged up and she only knew one way to release her thoughts. She reached for some parchment and charcoal and let the images flow out of her hand. There was an image of eyes filled with disdain for the world. An image of a beautiful girl sitting in a chair by a window waiting for the arrival of her new maid. An image of an annoying smirk that just increased people's frustration. It was as if she couldn't stop drawing. Until there was a knock on the door.

Clary stood up and walked over to the door. She swung it open and before her stood Simon. A welcome sight after all her confusion with Jace.

"We have dinner now. You might want to clean up" Simon smiled.

Clary looked at him in confusion "Get cleaned up?"

"Well, you are covered in charcoal…"

She looked down at herself. Her clothes were covered in dark smudges and her hands were completely black. She hadn't even noticed. The stresses of being an artist!

"Oh, right. I'll be just a minute."

She closed the door and went to the wardrobe to get her other outfit. Looking at it now it was nothing compared to Isabelle's elegant dress. Her's was faded and misshapen from being handed down through generations. It also had a few tears in the skirts from when she had climbed trees. It just looked old and grubby. But it was the only clean thing she had so she put it on and went back to the door.

Simon stood against a wall waiting. He took one look at her and just smiled.

"I know it's not much but it's all I've got." Clary said, embarrassed.

"Well we've all got to start somewhere right? Don't worry about it! I looked a hundred times worse on my first day. You're doing well!" he replied cheerfully.

At this he started to walk down the corridor. Clary smiled and began to follow him. She liked Simon, he had a way of making her feel better about herself. It was refreshing.

They stopped outside a pair of massive holly green doors. There was more intricate symbols marked in gold on these doors. Simon pushed the door open and Clary stared in shock at the room before her. There was two long wooden tables in the room, one for the servants and one for the royal family. Since when did royalty dine with the help?

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 **Ok lads, that is the end of the chapter, I hope you liked it! Plz do review because it helps me to see if people are interested and it motivates me to write more! Also, what do you guys think should happen in the future? I have no idea where this story is going so I need help coming up with ideas! Time for this chapters question: what is your favourite book series at the moment? Mine is Skulduggery Pleasant. It is fantastic and I would recommend it to everyone! Anyway, thanks for reading! Till next time lads.**


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